ICT to help curb teachers’ shortage in Tanzania

Tanzania government is to start using mobile phones and computers to mitigate the effects of an acute shortage of teachers in its primary and secondary schools. The Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Prof Jumanne Maghembe, said recently in Dar es Salaam that the plan involved distant learning through mobile phones messages and computer generated classes. He said the Government would from October start using information technology (IT) as an alternative method to tackle the shortage of teachers in the country. Speaking during the handing over of nearly 100,000 books worth Tshs. 2.45 billion to aid 75 schools, Prof Maghembe said the IT project would start as a pilot study before being rolled out to other needy areas. The books were donated by the Brothers Brother Foundation, a 50-year-old charity based in the US. He said about 200 primary schools would benefit from the IT programme. They are located in Lindi, Kisarawe and Bagamoyo districts, which all face an acute shortage of teachers. The minister said if successfully implemented, the project would mark a turning point in Tanzania’s goal of ensuring quality teaching aimed at improving education standards. The programme, he added, would also use projectors to reach more pupils. The projectors would be operated from one control centre manned by a few instructors.

The Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Professor Jumanne Maghembe in a meeting with stakeholders. Tanzania government would from October start using information technology (IT) as an alternative method to tackle the shortage of teachers in the country.

Tanzania is experiencing an acute shortage of teachers in both primary and secondary schools, with the latter facing a shortfall of some 40,000 new teachers. Prof Maghembe said IT would be used as an alternative as more teachers were being awaited to graduate from training institutions. ”We are completing a project which will enable the use of IT to reach many students as part of measures to tackle the shortage of teachers in the country. This will also help in improving the standard of education and raise the enrolment of pupils”, said Prof Maghembe. After the project is completed, we shall be able to use one teacher to teach many students and the shortage of teachers will be history in Tanzania, he added. Prof Maghembe acknowledged the support of the American people in Tanzanian’s efforts to address the shortage of teachers. He warned that the shortage could get out of hand if alternative measures were not taken to solve the growing problem. Meanwhile, Prof Maghembe said the Government had raised the number of teachers graduating from various teachers’ training colleges to about 20,000 graduates annually.
He thanked the American people for the donation, saying the high enrolment had led to a shortage of the books in some parts of the country. He said the reading culture had been partly hampered due to lack of reading material. The American ambassador, Mr Mark Green, said the books were donated on humanitarian grounds and the fact that the US had warm relations with Tanzania. He noted that the books’ composition would help students improve their English and communication skills. Mr Green said the US was also volunteering Peace Corps who double as mathematics, science and information technology tutors in public schools. He urged the donation to be directed to the most needy. The function was also attended by senior Ministry of Education and US embassy officials accredited in the country.